🔗 Share this article

When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a difficult match. However those worries vanished due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a smooth passing tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an excellent one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed another attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with real freedom. The winger repeatedly showed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper once more saving his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable composure to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first European points of the campaign.